For those of you that have an American Express Platinum Card ($200), American Express Business Platinum Card ($200) or an American Express Gold Card ($100) It is time to change your airline selection for the American Express airline fee credit for the 2019 if you need to. Think about your travel plans over the coming year, does it make sense to change your airline?
For me, we have a ski trip planned to Aspen over February break. This morning, I switched mine to American Airlines as we travel with our skis in addition to all of our bags and we are inevitably over when it comes to baggage allowance. My $200 Amex airline fee credit eats up the baggage fee excess.
Recall, the Airline Fee Credit benefit allows you to receive up to $200/$100 per calendar year in statement credits when incidental fees are charged by your selected airline to your above mentioned card accounts. Incidental fees covered by this benefit include Airport lounge day-passes, Checked bags, In-flight refreshments, Flight-change fees and Overweight/oversize baggage fees.
If you do nothing, your airline selection will remain the same as it was in 2018. But if you want to select a new airline, you must do so by January 31, 2019. (If you are a new Amex holder or an existing one that has never chosen an airline, you are not held to this 1/31 deadline and can choose a qualifying airline at any time).
Note that airline tickets, upgrades, mileage points purchases, mileage points transfer fees, gift cards, duty free purchases, and award tickets are not deemed to be incidental fees.
Whether you are switching your airline or picking one for the first time, you do so by selecting your airline in your online account or by phone. (Call the number on the back of your card). In some cases, Amex may let you switch your airline mid year if your travel plans change. A friend of mine just did this at the end of 2018 when she realized she hadn’t used hers and was flying over Xmas break on an airline she hadn’t selected. Amex also let me do this back in 2016. But don’t count on this-it is not a guarantee!
The credit for the incidental airline fee purchases should be on your card within 2- 4 weeks. In my experience, it is very quick!
A special note for Amex Business Platinum cardholders-the airline you select will be the same airline in which you get 35% Membership Rewards points back when you use the Pay with Points feature for flights with your selected qualifying airline (35% Airline Bonus). So you need to take this into account also when selecting your airline…will you be purchasing flights this year using the Amex Pay With Points Feature? If yes, that airline should be the one chosen.